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What current music survive the test of time?

There are some pieces of music I feel are among the greatest of all time. Beethoven's Ode to Joy is near the top of the list for me. I was listening to it when my wife came out from work and she immediately switched it to some easy listening show with John Tesh. Hey, what I was listening to has been loved by countless people for centuries. In 50 years no one will remember the stuff he plays on his show. She rambled on about some current artists, and how she thinks their music might be remembered. Gershwin is getting to the century mark, some of Irving Berlin's songs are still going strong at 80 years. Radio stations still play Elvis regularly.

So, who and what music will be remembered in 100 years? Not just because you currently like it, but point out what "staying power" you think it has.

This will be fun since some of my picks may be on someone else's most-hated list and vice versa. I was raised in a home where music was nearly always playing. My Pandora station shuffle will yield anything from Johann Albrechtsberger to White Zombie.

You may not agree with my answer, I'm going to exclude the classics because they've already proven themselves, but in 100 years The music that I think will still be played, remembered, and adapted.

Led Zeppelin
Frank Zappa
There are others for sure, like maybe Robert Fripp, but there is so much to the actual music from these three, that went way beyond the 3 string power cord and a pentatonic major/minor progression overplayed on top.
I'm sure there will be some Beatle's also, but I do not consider them to be musicians of the same caliber, nor is their music as expressive, or unique. It's at best, 3rd year studies music. Nothing technical about their stuff.
Zappa was something really special. If you actually look at, and read, some of his music, it was very complex.

"The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

My son is real Zappa buff ,and I like it. Terrible shame about his death. I like the Beatles . Some of their pieces are now
standards. Melody is good. I love many of the Steven Foster melodies ...and so do millions but his stuff is now most often
used in a cornball way in comedy. Anything can be distorted. Rhapsody in Blue is a modern high-brow masterpiece...but
Gershwin tapped out the melody and paid someone for the orchestration. Love the Sibelius violin concerto , has a unique
beautiful savagry. They say it's about his native forests.

Even aside from mentions of classical music, I find it odd that people are responding to a question about "current music" with names of artists that have been dead for decades like Zappa or Sinatra. It's a bit hard to consider anyone "current" if they're dead and/or no new* music is forthcoming from them.

(*I'm ignoring "zombie music", things like the hundreds of hours of archived Hendrix tapes that will no doubt get dribbled out over the rest of his heirs' lives. It may or may not be great stuff, but it all was created nearly a half-century ago.)

Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4."Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

I do agree Beethoven's 9th may be the greatest piece of music ever written and the impact with a full orchestra and choir may be the most impactful. Much how Glen thinks of the 6th the choral of the 9th should stir anyone with a heart beat, and possibly some without, kinda like the one lyric in the Stones' Start Me Up.

One thing to note is all the 100 yo music that has now stood the test of time is not exactly the music but the composition. Would we still be enamored of Beethoven and Bach if it were poor reproductions of the original? My point being despite how good we think of music reproduction now it will be significantly different in 100 years. I like Blues but listening to old Leadbelly, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Charley Patton are more academic or novel than truly sink into the chair and enjoy, at least for me. I think despite the current music being unlikely to be lost, due to digital storage, the actual performances from today will likely be like listening to a scratchy old 78 today.

The stuff I think will endure is not from today, heck it is 40-50 years old. I can't really guess about today's current music, longevity is based too much on nostalgia and whims.

Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

Deep thought for the day:

Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

(*I'm ignoring "zombie music", things like the hundreds of hours of archived Hendrix tapes that will no doubt get dribbled out over the rest of his heirs' lives. It may or may not be great stuff, but it all was created nearly a half-century ago.)

I would listen to an hour of Jimi tuning his guitar...

I agree about today's music which I was getting at also. "Classic Rock and Acid Rock" are in the 50 year old range now.

Today's music would be artists like Drake, Travis Scott, Post Malone, Portugal The Man etc.

Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

Deep thought for the day:

Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

I agree about today's music which I was getting at also. "Classic Rock and Acid Rock" are in the 50 year old range now.

Today's music would be artists like Drake, Travis Scott, Post Malone, Portugal The Man etc.

Yeah, but at least people like Peter Gabriel and James Taylor (i.e. not "young pop/rap/whatever stars") are still alive and writing/performing new music.

Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4."Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

In the case of Zappa, his kids are out there with his stuff and their own. Sinatra stuff still sells and will for a long time.
And Pavarotti fans will listen to his stuff at least until there is something better.....not newer. To see the new as preferable
dooms one to being memorialized in photos with funny hair cuts.

Leaving aside questions of taste, quality, and timelessness (is that a word?), my suspicion is that 100 years from now, the music from today most likely to be heard and remembered was written by either John Williams, Andrew Lloyd Webber, or Alan Menkin. Why? Because it's freaking everywhere.

And no, I do not think that is a good thing.

Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4."Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.